Lottery games have become a time honored method of raising revenue for state and federal governments the world over. Traditional scratch-off and draw games have evolved over decades, supplying increasing revenue year after year. However, after decades of growth, the sales curves associated with traditional games seem to be flattening out. Consequently, both lotteries and their service providers are presently searching for new methods of increasing sales and expanding the gaming experience for players.
In one attempt to increase sales, United States lotteries have adopted second chance games where the consumer can enter losing lottery ticket codes on lottery Internet sites to play instant second chance games (also referred to as “bonus games”) or to enter second chance drawings. However, for the most part, second chance games usually involve prizes of a minor nature compared to the main lottery games and, although having some impact, are generally not recognized as a significant promoter of sales of the primary game.
In an attempt to increase participation in the primary games, certain state jurisdictions in the United States have implemented “players' clubs” wherein participants register loosing primary tickets from multiple primary games into an online player account. The losing tickets are treated as entries into periodic drawings for secondary prizes. For example, Georgia sponsors a “PLAYERS CLUB” program wherein registered participants enter non-winning Georgia Lottery instant tickets via an online account into a second chance drawing program. Monthly drawings are conducted for an array of different awards, such as a monthly grand cash prize, featured prizes, and “points” awards that may be redeemed at a number of participating sponsors.
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2009-0117966 describes another method to enhance a player's experience in a lottery game, and thus encourage increased participation in the game. According to this patent application, a raffle number is assigned to each lottery ticket to be used in a subsequent raffle drawing. The raffle is conducted in conjunction with an independent third party event that is unrestrained by the lottery and awards a prize that is independent of the lottery. A typical third party event may be, for example, a televised contest or game show wherein contestants compete for an award. The lottery raffle prize is a function of the winning contestant's award. For example, the raffle prize may have a value equivalent to the value of the contestant's award, or may have an increased value based on a multiplication of the winning contestant's award. The lottery game component may have a theme based on the game show, and the raffle drawing can be conducted in conjunction with the game show, and may be televised during or immediately after the game show.
The lottery industry is thus continuously seeking new and creative game scenarios, particularly in regards to second chance games, that provide increased entertainment value to players, entice new players, and expand play of lottery games into a multi-faceted gaming experience beyond the mere purchase of a lottery ticket